I have a GPA of around 3.4, good GRE and PGRE score. I am about to publish my paper and have done extensive research work in computational Biophysics and I have great recommendation letters from my professor. Am I too worried that I won't be accepted for Graduate physics in US due to my average GPA?

Since GPAs vary a lot between countries, a perfect pGRE score would probably rectify your GPA. Also, since you mentioned Ohio, it is probably noteworthy to say that, if you do not know yet, it is much harder for international students to be admitted to public/state universities as they usually have a high quota of domestic students.

thehairupthere wrote:Since GPAs vary a lot between countries, a perfect pGRE score would probably rectify your GPA. Also, since you mentioned Ohio, it is probably noteworthy to say that, if you do not know yet, it is much harder for international students to be admitted to public/state universities as they usually have a high quota of domestic students.

Thanks for the reply. I am planning to take PGRE in coming september and try to apply in January-2017. So, if it is hard for me to get admitted in public/state universities , then which universities can be the safe options for me. But, it's not only about the possible safest options but also the universities which match my research interests. Despite working extensively on computational Biophysics, I have multiple research experiences in Material Science, Spectroscopy and Nuclear Physics. So, will these research experiences also help me along with possible good PGRE score when I apply to some of these US universities?

roshan2004 wrote:Thanks for the reply. I am planning to take PGRE in coming september and try to apply in January-2017. So, if it is hard for me to get admitted in public/state universities , then which universities can be the safe options for me. But, it's not only about the possible safest options but also the universities which match my research interests. Despite working extensively on computational Biophysics, I have multiple research experiences in Material Science, Spectroscopy and Nuclear Physics. So, will these research experiences also help me along with possible good PGRE score when I apply to some of these US universities?

I am sorry none of your research interests overlap with mine so I am probably not the best person to recommend universities for you, but I would recommend applying to private universities in every ranking band (probably down those ranked at 100). I would say look through a top 100 list and look up the programs/research at mostly private universities within it, and pick 10 that are closest to your interests.

As for breadth of research, research experiences is probably what counts most in your applications, but the quality of your research actually matters more than the number of projects you worked on. Do you have publications for example? Have you presented your work at conferences? Also, you have listed your research experiences, but what do you *want* to work on as a PhD student? You don't have to pick when you enter your PhD but it helps your application if you at least have an idea.